


Two Worlds Apart

by OhVena



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Confession, F/M, Heavy Angst, Mentions of Stalking, Mentions of homicide, Slight Humor, Swearing, mentions of strangulation, slight romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-23
Updated: 2017-11-03
Packaged: 2019-01-21 14:36:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12459825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OhVena/pseuds/OhVena
Summary: You and I weren't meant to be





	1. Forget me not

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader finds herself in custody as a potential suspect after somehow entering the Criminal Minds universe

When I woke up this morning there was no way I ever thought I'd end up arrested for the murder of two girls. Looking around the cold, gloomy walls of the interrogation room, I couldn't help but shiver.

 _How had I ended up in this mess?_  

With a sigh, I rubbed my wrist that still lingered with the feeling of handcuffs. 

The door creaked open and my head snapped up to see JJ and Morgan. In confusion, I rubbed my eyes, once, twice, as if my eyes were deceiving me, but they continued to walk forward until they took a seat in front of me.

"I must have been cast as the newest suspect or else this is some joke, right?" I asked as I stared at them in disbelief.  

They exchanged confused glances before JJ leaned forward as she slid two pictures. "These were found in your room"

I stared at her as I tried to comprehend the situation before glancing down at the pictures. Heat rushed into my cheeks as I recognized the corkboard that was filled with pictures of Spencer Reid. 

"I-I can explain" I stuttered out as I glanced at both of them in slight horror and embarrassment. 

"Then enlighten us" Morgan spoke up in un-amusement. 

My mind swirled as I tried to regain my senses. I never auditioned for a part in the show and as I had walked in, I didn't see any cameras. The police department definitely looked legit as well. I had either bumped my head too hard or I had somehow ended up inside the show, and with my luck, as a suspect. The last thing I remember was clicking my TV on and a blinding light knocking me out before I had woken up to harsh knocking on my door.

"Alright, look, I didn't know it was a crime to have pictures of your crush on your walls." I tried to explain myself. If I had somehow ended up in their universe then I couldn't say that they were fictional as it could lead to chaos; I needed to get out of this as smoothly as possible. Time for my actings skills to kick into gear. 

I sighed in dismay and looked down at my hands in embarrassment, which wasn't hard to act out. 

"I met Dr. Reid in one of the colleges he lectured at and the instant I saw him it was love at first sight" I replied shyly as my whole face flushed red. It wasn't a complete lie. The moment I had seen him on screen I knew he'd be my favorite. 

I glanced up to gauge their reaction, only to see them staring at me. 

"So you've been stalking him," JJ stated with raised brows. I winced at the label. I'd rather be labeled that then a murderer though. 

"Yes, that's why I have pictures of him while he's on duty" 

I could feel Morgans gaze boring into my head and soon sweat started to build upon the nape of my neck. If I was caught in a lie I'd be game over.

"That takes an awful lot of patience, dedication, and money. Your apartment doesn't look like it" he stated with suspicion. 

_Shit. Shit. Shit._

"I was brought here on homicide charges. Which, I didn't do! Stalking and murder are completely two different things. Maybe on the same side of the spectrum but I'd never do anything to harm Dr. Reid" I ramble on. 

"See, but you wanted him to notice you. And what better way than to do what he works to investigate." Morgan opened one of the case files on hand and took out two crime scene pictures. They were of the two female victims and I couldn't help but glance at them in curiosity. What happened to them that led them to believe I was the unsub?

JJ noticed my curiosity and her lips tightened into a thin line as she took my curiosity as marveling. 

With a grimace at her expression, I glanced up at them in morbidity, "Were they strangled?" 

There were ligature marks around their neck as if they had been strangled by a rope or a belt. 

"They were and these were left next to them" he slides over another set of pictures that captured two notes. 

I read through both sets of notes, only to find myself appalled. This girl was crazy, she really was killing to get Dr. Reid's attention. And lucky me, I seemed to have fit the profile to a T as she had also talked about meeting him at one of the colleges he lectured at. 

I groaned out as I realized I had dug myself deeper. 

"I swear I didn't kill the two girls. God, just the thought of torture makes me queasy. If you don't believe me ask my roommate!" I pleaded, hands going clammy at the thought of rotting in a jail cell in another universe, not to mention. 

"We're bringing your roommate in for questioning. She was gone on the day of the murders which would give you the perfect opportunity" JJ replied as she collected the pictures. 

"Ohmygod. I don't have the strength to strangle someone to death! Have you seen me? I have the arms of a boiled noodle!" 

Morgans eyes flashed in slight amusement from my comparison but it was gone in a flash as he leaned back into his chair. 

"They were tasered first" he replied simply.

I gnawed at my lip as I realized they absolutely believed I was the culprit. I needed to think, I'd seen this show enough to learn a thing or two. This girl wanted attention but the strangulation pointed to a sexual sadist. 

"She started off wanting the doctor's attention but then she quickly realized she liked the rush she got out of it. She's a psychopath. She knew she wanted the doctor's attention, even wrote a note, but the strangling wasn't planned out. She tasered the girl, and without a weapon on hand but what she carried in her car, she decided to strangle her. It's not messy. So she must work in a supplier store, some place that sells that kind of rope. I might fit half of your profile, but not this" I finished off

They both looked at me in slight wonder before glancing at each other to have a silent conversation. They gathered their files and stood up to leave.

"Once she realizes that you have me in custody, she's going to strike again! Somebody's stealing her spotlight and she's not going to stand by, she's going to unravel!" I rushed out before they left. 

I heaved out a sigh and glanced at the doubled sided window in worry; I hope they catch her.

_I wonder if Spencer was watching._

Wincing at the thought, I couldn't help but cover my face in horror. Great, I probably looked like a stalking, freak now.

* * *

 

Inside the interrogation room, it was hard to tell how much time had passed. The room was feeling stuffy as I wistfully thought about the wet air and the damp smell of soil just outside the building. It had been raining when they had brought me in and from the faint sound of the pit-o-patter, I could tell that the rain had only begun to fall harder.

My stomach was growling from hunger and I could feel a headache coming on from the recent events. I was mentally exhausted as well as humiliated.

_How long would they keep me in here? And how was I supposed to find my way back home? Would solving the case trigger the same reaction I had experienced before?_

The episode should end there. Worst case scenario, I end up trapped inside the show and have to live with the fact that Spencer Reid knows I exist but only knows me as a creepy, stalker. 

The door creaks open just as I'm having a mental crisis, and I snap my head up to see who it is. I almost about faint when I realize that Spencer is standing right in front of me with his messy hair and a nervous smile, eyes squinted in thought.

"We caught the suspect just before she got to her newest victim. Your insight helped us catch her and you saved a girls life" he replied with a tiny smile.

A sigh I didn't know I was holding left my lips as I visibly relaxed, hot, angry tears pooled behind my eyelids.

"You were right, she wasn't very happy when we caught her," he said with a chuckle, trying to ease his own nerves. It must have felt surreal for him to find out he had two stalkers, and that one was killing to get his attention. 

I couldn't help but laugh with him as the tears escaped and slid down my cheeks in an angry rush. "The only time I ever get to meet you, I end up as a suspect and you find out I'm some stalker." With a shaky breath, I attempted a smile, "But I'm glad you caught her."

Spencer stared at me in curiosity, nose scrunched up as his eyes squinted in thought, "I don't know how you got those pictures, but you're not a stalker. It just doesn't make sense. I won't ask though"

There was a beat of silence before he continued, "What do you see in me?"

I blinked at his question, "What?"

He smiled, "Why do you like me?"

I swallowed out of nerves before gnawing at my lip. The least I could do was offer him some answers.

"It's the way your eyes gleam with knowledge. As if half of the world's answers laid behind them yet you still hold such a curiosity for the new or bizarre. The way your eyes light up like stars when you're excited about something or when you're sharing a tidbit of information with someone. The way your eyes crinkle up when you're happy or how they scrunch up when you're in thought. How your nose twitches while you gnaw at your lip when you're nervous or trying to process. You're so understanding and you listen to others, even when you're in pain. It's everything about you, I just love... you," I finish off in a bated breath, my heart feeling lighter as I finally get to confess my feelings for him. An opportunity I'll only receive once, even if we had started off on the wrong foot. 

Spencer only stares at me with wide eyes as he tries to process what I just told him, "You... love me?" he whispers.

"I do" I reply with a sad smile, relieving in the few minutes we had left. I could feel my consciousness slipping. I'd soon be in my apartment remembering everything, knowing that Spencer will have no recollection of today's events. The thought was so cruel that I could feel tears well up again, a lump growing in my throat.

Before I could even comprehend, soft lips met mine in a lingering kiss. With trembling lips, I kissed back as my eyes fluttered closed, our kiss tasting of salt and sugar as my tears mingled with the taste of his lips. He smelled of coffee beans and vanilla; a scent so warm and welcoming it reminded me of a spring day. His smooth skin glided under my fingers as I caressed his cheek.

He pulled back and my eyes met his warm, brown ones. There were conflicting emotions behind them and I couldn't help but wrap my arms around his torso in a comforting hug; trying to brand every single sight, smell, and touch into my memory. 

"I'm tired" I whispered as my eyelids started to feel heavier. His arms wrapped around me as he rested his chin on my head. "We'll take you home soon. Just hold out" he promised.

"I love you Spencer" I mumbled out, a mournful smile grazing my lips once more.

"I don't know why but, I feel at ease around you" he whispered in deep thought. 

"That... makes... me... so... glad" I managed to get out. The darkness was clogging my senses and it was only a matter of time before I blacked out.

"Spencer?" 

"Yes?" he replied in curiosity.

"Promise to... forget me not"

Soon after, darkness swallowed me whole and all I could remember was a faint, 

"I promise"


	2. Sweet release

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spencer wakes up in his apartment with a memory of a girl and a kiss. He's determined to find her but what will he do when there seem to be no traces of such a girl existing?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lovely reader requested that I write a part 2 for "Forget me not". So buckle up kiddos, cause you're in for a ride.

Spencer Reid was certain that (Y/N) (L/N) was real.

He could still remember her touch, her hair, the sound of her voice, the feel of her lips on his own, their promise. 

He had spent every waking moment after that morning looking for her. For answers. For anything that proved he wasn't hallucinating. 

The fear of him being schizophrenic was too much to bear.

He had assigned the task to Penelope in hopes that she could find anything he hadn't.

But she had only come back with a sullen look and empty words of encouragement.

He had gone through the case report multiple times in hopes to find anything he overlooked. 

But the pages could only show what he had already memorized. There was no other girl that had been thought a suspect. There were no traces that even showed the girl was real. His friends had no recollection. The camera feeds showed no such thing. Her apartment was occupied by an elderly couple. The college she had been attending had no information on her. Her parents and roommate had also disappeared. Anything that seemed to have revolved around her had ceased to exist. 

It was as if she had fallen from the face of the earth and all that was left was a ghost of a memory. A ghost that had consumed his very being. 

Sleepless nights were spent pondering. Lunch breaks were used as library visits. Work hours were occupied by thoughts of her. His work ethic had begun to deteriorate so much that his friends had called a meeting in worry of his mental state.

"Spence, you can't keep doing this to yourself. We're all worried about you" JJ spoke up as she took in his grown-in facial hair and messy demeanor. 

"None of us remember this girl, kid. I think you must have had a vivid dream" Morgan added with an evident frown. He didn't like seeing his best friend so out of it. He hated to admit it but he missed Spencer's constant rambling. He'd take that over his silence any day. 

Spencer's face contorted in rage upon hearing his words that he stood up in a swift motion, chair scraping the floor in the process. "She isn't something I made up! She made me promise not to forget her and I haven't. I have an eidetic memory, I remember what happened!" 

"Spencer, I've searched everywhere for her and nobody fits the girl you describe," Penelope replied in distress, she hated to see her friend hurting. 

"She's real... I know she is" he whispered in sorrow, eyes hazy in a thunderstorm of emotions. "And I will find her, with or without your help" he finished in determination before walking off. 

"Spencer!" Hotch called out in worry, but his friend was long gone from them: from himself.

* * *

 

Days had turned into weeks and Spencer was still coming up empty.

His investigation led to a dead end and his research made him question his beliefs. All he could come up with was that she was from an alternative universe, somehow finding her way into his. Something could have triggered her appearance and disappearance. That would explain how she had multiple pictures and pre-existing knowledge on him. Perhaps he was a celebrity in her realm.

The thought seemed so absurd that it had made him laugh at the time. 

Maybe he really was losing his mind. Maybe he really had imagined the whole thing; fabricated a ghost who loved everything about him, including his flaws.

Schizophrenia seemed more likely the longer he searched.

Sitting at home on his couch he couldn't help the loud sobs that wracked his body. He hadn't slept in days. Hadn't eaten proper meals in weeks. Hell, he couldn't even recall the last time he had showered. His life had been consumed by a ghost of a girl that to the point he couldn't even properly work on a case anymore. He had pushed everything in his life that held meaning, his friends, family, job, studies, for what? To chase after a fragment of his imagination?

Tears streamed down in hot, messy streaks, shoulders shaking as choked noises escaped past his lips. He was a broken man, a former shell of whom he used to be destroyed by a ripple in the fabric of space-time that went by the name of (Y/N).

As he sat there in a motionless state, with a shirt soaked in tears and eyes out of focus, numbness began to settle in. He wished he could forget. Forget about the girl who had inadvertently brought on so much suffering with a single promise; a selfish wish. 

He closed his eyes in anticipation of sleep when he felt a ghost of a caress on his cheek. 

"(Y/N)?" he whispered, lips trembling as his eyes stayed shut in fear of what he wouldn't see if he opened them. 

"I'm so sorry, Spencer" she softly replied, her own tears dripping onto his face. 

Shoulders shaking in silent suffering he couldn't prevent the tears that streamed down his cheeks once more. 

"Please, don't go" he cried.

"We're two worlds apart, my love. We were never meant to meet" she replied sadly, voice full of agony. "But I'll make the memories go away, everything will return as it was" she promised.

Before he could reply, a feathery touch met his forehead and the world fell to darkness.

 

_That night, Spencer dreamt of a warmth that radiated off a faceless girl._


End file.
